Erie County Legislator Frank Todaro recently recognized October as Polish Heritage Month and presented members of the Polish American Congress of Western New York and the Polish American Civic Affairs Committee of Western New York with a proclamation on behalf of the work they do representing the Polish community in Western New York.

The Polish American Congress was founded in 1944 in Buffalo for the purpose of representing the concerns of Polish Americans and works to support democratic institutions and promotes an atmosphere of free trade and private enterprise. Its current president, since 2016, is James L. Lawicki, II.

The Polish American Civic Affairs Committee of Western New York is a non-partisan political action committee that seeks to recruit, elect and retain elected officials of Polish American descent and engages in political action to positively address matters concerning the Polish American community in Western New York.

The Polish American Civic Affairs Committee of Western New York’s current chairman ex-officio is James L. Lawicki II, Jeffrey Swiatek, Esq. President of the Democrat Caucus and Brian D. Rusk, President of the Republican Caucus.

Legislator Todaro said, “It is important to me to make sure all Polish Americans here in Western New York are recognized and celebrated. Much of our culture in Western New York is based off of the values that early Polish settlers first brought to America that has helped shape our community into what it is today. I want to thank members of the Polish American Congress of Western New York and the Polish American Civic Affairs Committee of Western New York for all the work you do in representing the Polish community in our area.”